Download This PaperTrends in Absolute Income Mobility in North America and Europe
94 Pages Posted: 14 Jul 2020
Abstract
We compute rates of absolute upward income mobility for the 1960-1987 birth cohorts in eight countries in North America and Europe. Rates and trends in absolute mobility varied dramatically across countries during this period: the US and Canada saw upward mobility rates near 50% for recent cohorts, while countries like Norway and Finland saw sustained rates above 70%. Decomposition analysis suggests that differences in the marginal income distributions, especially the amount of cross-cohort income inequality, were the primary driver of differing mobility rates across countries. We also demonstrate that absolute mobility rates can be accurately estimated without linked parent-child data.
Keywords: absolute intergenerational mobility, income, international comparison
JEL Classification: J62, D31, P52
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
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Germany